The Anvil, Bournemouth
Having only seen In The Hills once before, who were struggling through a set fraught with technical difficulties, I was pleased to get the chance to see them again so soon. As before, their heavy, sludge rock drew me in with its trance like rhythm infused with great riffs and break downs.
Now I have no idea if this is an effect they were aiming for or if the whiskey had addled my brain, but the music seemed to take control, each song seemed to follow a pattern, with ups and downs and different rhythms and breaks. Then the vocals seemed to be narrating the music rather than taking centre stage which made the whole set seem like a story. As I said, it could have been the whiskey. It was great to see the singer get out in the crowd and give some high fives; it felt like we were all part of a happy music loving family.
A friend of mine has been telling me how good Desert Storm are for quite some time now, so I was happy that they lived up to his hype. They were funky and heavy and fun yet serious all at once, like an aggressive funk band that you would want to party with, but not get on the wrong side of. “Menacefunk” I have since dubbed it, I’m using my creative licence here to make a new genre just for them. I found myself comparing them to Motorhead, Kiss and Machine Head; each song brilliantly combined elements from a variety of influences like these. There were some self indulgent guitar solos which were pulled off with aplomb and went down well with the crowd, as did the Proclaimers “500 miles” style dancing from the lead singer. They occasionally drifted into a heavier side of their self styled “menacefunk”, which surprised me, but it worked really well and was well received. This is a band that will keep you on your toes, and keep you well entertained.
I had no idea who Peter Pan Speedrock was prior to this evening, I have since found out that they come from Holland and have established themselves as a strong live band on the rock n roll scene over there. I’m hoping that the stint of UK shows they are doing will get them some good exposure over here as I certainly think they deserve it from what I saw and heard. They were loud, fast, punky and aggressive, and great at all of the above. As a three piece, they were the only band that could actually fit all members on the stage tonight, but this certainly didn’t mean they lacked any punch. Again, a band that seems to take influence from a variety of styles, to me personally, they sounded like a perfect mix of Slayer and the Ramones. There was a real passion for what they were playing emanating from the three of them and they showcased a special talent that I have never seen before of using the power of guitar solos as a method of crowd control. That’s the magic of rock ‘n roll.
It was a truly enjoyable night, showcasing great music from both local bands and some talent from further afield. Also, cheap whiskey. This is something that has become a regular feature at The Anvil, long may it continue. The music that is, not the whiskey.
Ok, maybe the whiskey as well. Cheers.
Sarah Lovegrove
